World Giraffe Day 5K Run/Walk

Join Frank Buck Zoo and Save Giraffes Now for the World Giraffe Day 5K on June 20, 2026 at the zoo. Race takes place from 7am to 10am with check-in beginning at 6:30am. 

Participants have the option of a 5K cross country run or a walk through the zoo before it is open to the public. A virtual challenge with limited spaces will be available for those unable to make the event in person. The first 130 in-person participants to register online will receive a hand-crafted wooden race medal and race t-shirt. Virtual challenge participants will receive a medal. 

Come celebrate the longest day of the year with the longest necks!

Frank Buck Zoo has been dubbed “the best little zoo in Texas” and is home to more than 130 animals, including giraffe! Frank Buck Zoo and SGN have partnered together on this giraffe-saving work since 2022. We are proud to partner together now for the 2025 World Giraffe Day 5K!

Save Giraffes Now (SGN) is a Texas-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is focused on supporting and establishing collaborative community-led giraffe conservation programs in Africa. Since 2019, SGN has become the second-largest NGO devoted to giraffe conservation with currently over thirty giraffe saving projects, one of which is the subject of a National Geographic film released in the fall of 2022 titled Saving Giraffes: The Long Journey Home.

For more information on the World Giraffe Day 5K or to become a sponsor, email amber@savegiraffesnow.org.

Join fellow runners on June 20, 2026 for the World Giraffe Day 5K Run/Walk. It's a fantastic 5K featuring a flat and fast course in Gainesville.